E3 2003: Music Mixer Details

Share.

By Hilary Goldstein

Music Mixer is the first piece revealed in Microsoft's overall plan to make Xbox much more than merely a tool for gamers. Shipping this fall, the launch of Xbox' Digital Entertainment Lifestyle initiative means big things for Xbox and is perhaps a preview of Microsoft's plans to make Xbox 2 the only piece of hardware you'll need in your living room besides a TV.

Priced at $39.95, Music Mixer includes software for both your Xbox and PC as well as a hand-held microphone. The software includes over 10 hours of visual media, two handfuls of classic karaoke songs, a near-complete music CD database, and everything you need to turn your Xbox into a machine worthy of the term "next-generation".

Promised to be as simple to use as a video game with absolutely no need to consult a manual, Music Mixer packs quite a lot of punch for a mere 40 bucks. The title is actually a bit of a misnomer, as Music Mixer does more than merely allow for musical manipulations on your Xbox. Mixers will be able to rip digital pictures and video from their PC through their home network and into their Xbox. Music Mixer allows for karaoke, virtual photo books, and more complex video presentations for the ambitious.

Xbox slideshow Anyone who has a digital camera knows what a pain it is having everyone crown around the computer to check out your latest pics. With Music Mixer those days are no more. Music Mixer allows gamers to upload digital pics and videos from the PC to their Xbox hard drive so tat they can create their own virtual slideshow.

2D visual shows can include music(and any MP3 can be ripped from PC to Xbox now) and any number of digital images. Digital media can be easily customized with Music Mixer and a bevy of effects, including wipes and fades, can be implemented to make for the coolest slideshow presentation ever imagined. No more napping through your hour-long presentation of your trip to see the world's Biggest Ball of Twine.

Global rave This implementation doesn't have to be as narrow as family slideshows. Pics can be used to enhance the audio experience, or mixers can forego digital pictures all-together and create their own sensory output, manipulating the visuals in real-time with both thumbsticks.

Video can also be implemented (there's about an hour and a half of canned video included with Music Mixer) to enhance the experience. But, perhaps cooler, is that the 3D visualization creates virtual raves dancing to the music ripped to your Xbox hard drive. Set the number of dancers, clothing, and ratio of males to females.

Ah, but it doesn't end there. With real-time VJ and DJ functionality, users can use turntable effects and adjust equalizer settings for their own little raves. Even better is that Music Mixer is fully compatible with Xbox Live, meaning you'll be able to listen to music with your buddies (or strangers) across the Internet. Though it's unclear how many people will be able to tap into one DJ session, there's a good possibility Xbox Live and Music Mixer will allow for the first global rave.

Find a match Those annoyed by having to slowly enter the band and song names for their ripped albums need be annoyed no longer. Music Mixer comes packaged with Music Match-like functionality. With a database of nearly ever CD ever produced, Microsoft is expecting about a 95% match-rate for all ripped music. Not only will this instantly name all songs you rip from your PC to your Xbox, but Music Mixer will retroactively name all songs already on your Xbox hard drive.

Those with Xbox Live will receive real-time updates to the database, but those without won't have matching functionality for albums released after Mixer's launch. Microsoft is planning to release database updates, but it hasn't been determined how often or how the updates will be distributed.

Your own karaoke lounge Ah yes, we saved the best for last. Packaged with an unspecified number of karaoke music tracks, using the Xbox Microphone, mixers can karaoke in their own home. Extra karaoke packages with more songs will be available after launch, but MS isn't sure if they will be downloadable via Xbox Live for a fee or if they will be available also in retail stores on disc.

Though there is packaged karaoke songs, mixers can use any song on their Xbox hard drive, as Music Mixer will rip the lead vocals from any track in real-time. And for those wanting to be true American idols, your karoke performances can be recorded and saved onto your hard drive. And cooler still, you can use these recorded tracks in any Xbox game that supports custom soundtracks. Yes, finally you can listen to your own screeching voice singing "It's Raining Men" while racing in your fave driving game.

The Voice Communicator can also be used as a mic, though it has weaker quality, to allow for karaoke duos. Now you can grandma can "Get Down On It" together. And if grandma plays the guitar, you're in luck. The Music Mixer mic plugs into a dongle, which connects to the back of your controller just like the Xbox Live Voice Communicator. However, you can plug any instrument into the dongle to play along.

Demo anyone? To date, we've only heard about Music Mixer, we've yet to see it in action. That will change on Wednesday as Microsoft will be demoing the software at their booth. Look for impressions and more details in just a couple of days.